Mentz is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Cayuga County Cayuga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 76,248. Its county seat and largest city is Auburn. The county was named for the Cayuga people, one of the Indian tribes in the Iroquois Confed ...

, New York, United States. The population was 2,114 at the 2020 census. The town is in the central part of the county, north of Auburn.The town's name is derived from

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

, in Germany.

History

The town was formed in 1802 as the "Town of Jefferson" from the town of Aurelius while still part of

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...

. In 1808, it assumed its current name. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1810, although others had attempted to settle the area previously. In 1837, the community of Port Byron set itself apart from Mentz by incorporating as a village. The

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

was moved to include the Seneca River in 1856. In 1859, part of the town was used to form the towns of Montezuma and Throop. In 1997,

town supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

Bill Jones was convicted of official misconduct and a gun charge, but vanished before his sentencing. He hid in southern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

with his girlfriend, at one point living on land owned by Fredericka Wagner, who was implicated in the Pike County shootings. In January of 2021 he was arrested after being taken to a hospital and remanded to New York State.

Notable people

* John W. DeGroff, Wisconsin politician, born in Mentz *

Isaac Singer Isaac Merritt Singer (October 27, 1811 – July 23, 1875) was an American inventor, actor, and businessman. He made important improvements in the design of the sewing machine and was the founder of what became one of the first American multi-n ...

, sewing machine manufacturer *

Henry Wells Henry Wells (December 12, 1805 – December 10, 1878) was an American businessman important in the history of both the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company. Wells worked as a freight agent before joining the express business. Hi ...

, partner in Wells-Fargo *

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

, the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

leader, lived briefly in the town

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.51%, is water. The northern town line is defined by the

( Seneca River). Port Byron and Centerport were ports on the canal until it was moved northward. The New York State Thruway ( Interstate 90) crosses the town, following along the original path of the Erie Canal. New York State Route 31 (east-west) crosses

New York State Route 38 New York State Route 38 (NY 38) is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Owego in Tioga County. The nort ...

at Port Byron.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 2,446 people, 932 households, and 676 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 143.5 people per square mile (55.4/km²). There were 999 housing units at an average density of 58.6 per square mile (22.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.52%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.94%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.41% Native American, 0.16%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.65% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.31% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.64% of the population. There were 932 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,398, and the median income for a family was $36,637. Males had a median income of $31,500 versus $20,172 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $15,494. About 9.4% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Mentz

*Centerport – A hamlet on the eastern town line and NY-31. *High Bridge – A location in the northwestern part of the town, northwest of Port Byron. *North Port Byron – A hamlet north of Port Byron village on NY Route 38. * Port Byron – The village of Port Byron is at the intersection of NY-31 and NY-38, immediately south of the Thruway. Port Byron grew to prominence as a port on the Erie Canal, but the canal was moved northward during reconstruction.

References

External links

Town of Mentz official website
{{authority control Populated places established in 1802 Towns in Cayuga County, New York 1802 establishments in New York (state)